First Aid to be taught in schools

We have been championing teaching children first aid at school for some time now. In countries that already teach CPR in schools, cardiac arrest survival rates are more than double those of the UK.

Our student first aid course, free to all schools and under 18s groups, was groundbreaking when launched. It was well received too…

At the time of our launch, Sir Bob Russell, Colchester MP and Chairman of the All-Party Parliamentary First Aid Group, said: “I welcome this initiative. Those with knowledge of First Aid play a key role, often in saving lives, in so many ways in treating people who need immediate help because of a fall, cutting themselves, or in other ways injuring or hurting themselves. In Parliament, I continue to campaign for First Aid to be made part of the National Curriculum. In the meantime, I welcome those who are seeking to train young people in life-saving First Aid skills.”

Well, many years on, here we are!

Last week, the Education Secretary (The Rt Hon Damian Hinds MP) underlined the importance of every child having the chance to learn life-saving skills such as CPR, under plans for health education to be taught in every school.

The government’s plan is that all children will be taught basic first aid in schools, under proposals due to be rolled out from 2020.

Education Secretary Damian Hinds said: “Learning the basic skills of first aid and techniques like CPR will give young people the confidence to know that they can step in to help someone else in need and in the most extreme cases – it could potentially save a life.

“That’s why we took the decision to include health education alongside relationship education for primary school children and relationship and sex education for secondary children. These subjects are a crucial part of our work to ensure children learn the wider skills they need to flourish in the modern world.”

Under the proposed new guidance, by the end of secondary school pupils will be taught how to administer CPR, the purpose of defibrillators, and basic treatments for common injuries.

The proposals are part of the Department for Education’s plans to strengthen teaching of health, sex and relationships education – building on free resources already available for schools to teach first aid including those provided by ProTrainings EU.